College to move into office block

A sixth form college with a capacity for 1,000 students is to move into a former HSBC office block later this year following a multi-million pound makeover.

Elliott Hudson College, part of The GORSE Academies Trust, is to take over the building at White Rose Office Park in Leeds as part of plans to develop business partnerships and drive social mobility among its students.

The 70,000 sq ft building was home to HSBC’s specialist mortgage division before it moved into a new office on the business park, which is jointly owned by Munroe K and Orion Capital Managers, in 2014.

The college, which was set up last year, will move from nearby Phoenix House in a phased relocation to be completed by September.

David Aspin, chief executive of Munroe K, said: “This is an exciting development for us, putting an innovative educational establishment alongside large private sector employers such as HSBC, Capita, SKF, Telefonica, WSP Parsons Brinckerhoff Global and Her Majesty’s Government.”

The GORSE Academies Trust is a not-for-profit charity whose aim is to create exceptional schools to serve areas of Leeds and the Leeds City Region that suffer deprivation and to carry students on towards attaining places at first class universities.

Sir John Townsley, the Trust’s executive principal, said: “We selected White Rose Office Park for the Elliott Hudson College because of our shared aspiration to change the deal for some of the poorest and some of the most aspirational young people in our city.”

Henry Burton, from property agent JLL, who advised the Trust, added: “This acquisition is a sign of the Education Funding Authority’s continued commitment to improve the standards of education across England.”